Rating: 
Summary: Scattered and COnfusing
Review: This movie was a big disappointment. It opens to hospital shots that have very little to do with anything. Hard to suspend disbelief on the bazaar situations and characters. No depth. It just flys from one bad scenario to another. Poor Script and poor execution. Mediocre editing. ANd finally the subtitles were so fast you dont have time to read them. There wasnt even a little sex to enjoy. ALL in ALL a real flopper.
Rating: 
Summary: qué maravilla
Review: Esta es una película bonita por todos sus partes: el guión, los actores, el director, y especialmente la cinematografía. Almodóvar, otra vez, ha creado una obra revolucionaria del cine. ¡Viva Almodóvar! Cómprala ahora mismo.
Rating:
Summary: optimismo sin fin
Review: una pelicula donde se muestra como el deseo de ser madre no tiene limites, donde se pueden respetar todas las tendencias, y aceptar a cada ser humano como es, sin juicios y sin perjuicios. Una pelicula donde todos tenemos mucho que aprender/
Rating:
Summary: In praise of women.
Review: Another fascinating film from Almodovar, with kinky characters, bright colours and superb performances. This one is about Manuela (Cecilia Roth), a single mother, and how she strives to come to terms with the death of her beloved eighteen year old son who, before her very eyes, is run over and killed instantly by a passing car. Her screech of horror is blood curdling.They have just been to see a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire." to celebrate her son's birthday and are waiting outside the theatre in the pouring rain to get the autograph of Huma Roja (Marisa Paredes), the star of the play. But she comes out of the theatre too quickly, getting into the taxi, with her drug-addicted lover Nina (Candela Pina), and driving off before he can reach her. It is when he is chasing after her taxi in desperation that the tragic accident happens. When Manuela is able to pull herself together, she decides to go back to Barcelona to give news of the death to her son's father who knows nothing of his son's existence. She left him all those years ago because he was HIV-positive, a transsexual and a prostitute. Twenty years later she finds him near to death with an Aids related illness, having sometime before passed on the virus to sister Rosa (Penelope Cruz), a beautiful nun social-worker who shortly afterwards dies giving birth to his son (A beautiful nun going to bed with a transsexual prostitute? I suppose anything's possible. But what does it say about him?). Manuela has only known Rosa for a short time but shows what a stunningly good person she is by spending every moment taking care of her in her last illness; and afterwards adopting her son and taking him back with her to Madrid. On the way to the hospital Rosa asks for the taxi to stop while she takes one last look at Barcelona's beautiful main square. A moving moment. Manuela was introduced to Rosa by Agrado (Antonia San Juan) an old friend who is also a transsexual and a prostitute and who when we first see her is about to be raped. Manuela leaps to her rescue, whacking her assailant over the head with a heavy piece of wood. Agrado then takes her in search of her son's father to a prostitute's work station, where, in the middle of a great field, a drove of cars drives around in circles Almodovar always peoples his films with an array of oddball outsiders - usually women, or men wanting to be women - viewing them habitually through benevolent eyes. He obviously loves women. He thinks they are much better than men, that they make better friends, that they are better able to confide in each other, to share their feelings and emotions and talk about things that really matter. And this film is a paean to that belief. The warmth and friendship these women show to each other is something to behold. And so a film containing three tragic deaths and which should by every expectation be sombre and depressing, is turned into a heart-warming, uplifting ode to the strength of the human spirit. It contains at least one memorable quote. Huma Roja says at one point, " I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
Rating:
Summary: A Visually Beautiful & Emotionally Charging Film
Review: "All About My Mother" is simply divine. The story of a woman going in search of her ex-husband, also father of her son and meeting a group of neurotic women on the way only to act as a mother figure to all of them--is stunning. Cecilia Roth's performance as the lead, Manuela, is driven, passionate, and raw. Penelope Cruz's troubled nun Rosa is young, sweet, and hopeful, even in the midst of complete despair. As Huma Rojo, Marisa Paredes gives a first-class performance as a Dramatic Diva whose love for her ruthless costar Nina (who is "hooked on junk") motivates all of her dying emotions. And Antonia San Juan offers both comic relief and some self-esteem lessons to us all as the lovable transvestite La Agrado. And Manuela's doomed son, Esteban (the performer's name escpaes me) gives a gut wrenching, beautiful portrayal of the dreamer inside of all us. As for Almodovar's work--how visually stunning the cinematography is--obviously orchestrated to pull out every ounce of color, the dominant red and blue hues in the film set a tone of sadness, fury, passion, and distress. By the end of this film, there is so much to be said in terms of its themes and references to such classic films/theatrical shows such as "All About Eve," an obvious sketch for the theatrical life in the show, and "A Streetcar Named Desire" is an outlet in many ways for all of the characters--but there are so many routes to take in analyzing this film...it is full of love, hate, loss, motherhood, and friendship. Definitely recommended to all of you out there who have feelings.
Rating:
Summary: Even better with repeated viewings!
Review: Sometimes exploring a film in the undisturbed quiet of your home reveals much more about that film than a first encounter in the Movie Theater. Such is definitely the case with Almadovar's exquisite little masterpiece, "All About My Mother". Seeing the movie in the theater invovled an overlay of audience reaction that covers just how compelling this story is. Inapropriate laughter from fellow attendees when transvestism, pregnant nuns, diva turns by aging actresses made the movie seem strangely bawdy, even comedic. Without the interference from mindless movie goers who bring to a film all of their behavioural dysfunctions and attitudes - without all that, Almadovar's genius shines through. Brilliant performances by a stunning cast bring to life this drama of loneliness, prejudice, homphobia, private and public pain, alternative life style, the aging female, etc. all presented in such a unique setting that leaves you weak with respect for this directors talent. On the DVD is a very fine interview with Almadovar (in English - the film is in Spanish) that for once is an addendum that enhances the next viewing of the film. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A little too pleased with itself
Review: Barely passable, since most of the people in the film just seemed to be so self-satisfied and in love with themselves for accepting gender-bending and modern liberal sexual mores. It takes more than that to make a good movie. I just had the constant feeling that with all these actors flaunting their sexual liberation in my direction, I was supposed to fall to the ground and repeat "I'm not worthy" over and over. It made the typically gay pretension of mistaking "avant-garde" posturing for substance. Dumbly shallow. Almodovar's worst, I think.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! "Women" Of the World
Review: An amazing sequence of events... Women! Men who want to be women!? Confused? Don't be...enjoy the wonderfully eccentric (bizarre?) characters in this 1999 Academy Award Winner. FANTASTIC!!
Rating:
Summary: Aldomovar comes of age
Review: The various reviews give a very good and accurate impression of the film, including the fine synopsis by the editors of Amazon. Since there is not much to add I choose to review this more as an endorsement of a fine movie and encourage others to explore the richness of foreign cinema, to seek out the gems that exist outside of Hollywood, like this movie. The actors are all superb in this feature and the complex characters are portrayed with hman warmth. Although they are tragic and funny one does not laugh at them but with them as they point out their own fralities. The genius of Aldomovaar is back(did he ever leave?) with a grand cast of wierd characters that paint a picture of the "other" side of life. The story evolves around a mother who leaves to find her x and in the process becomes involved with a strange array of people who she helps who in turn help her with her own personal grief over the tragic loss of her son. That so many strange and colorful people could be all lumped together in one plot makes for the classic Aldomovar film. Alodomovar, with a knack for portrayl of the perverse as ordinary, is a master at convincing the audience of the authenticity of the cast. The drag queens, transvestites and assorted other "outcasts' of mainstream society are given tremendous life and a voyeuristic view of the sub culture with dignity given the often tragic results of the lifestyle. If you have an open mind, can handle the issue of AIDS, a wayward Catholic nun, portrayed marvelously by Peneloupe Cruz, lesbians, assorted other he-shes and death than enjoy this movie for a slice of life that makes "Pink Flamingoes" look like a Disney flick. Aldomovar likes to shock his audience but this production has a professional quality that reveals the growth of the director that rivals more mainstream cinema while maintaining its razor sharp edge. As always, Aldomaovar delivers a hilarious movie given the often somber subject matter, keeping the audience aware that given the seriousness of life we all have to maintain a degree of levity and enjoy the precious moments.
Rating:
Summary: Potentially good but confusing
Review: What turned me off about this film was its flaunting of alternative sexualities, prostitution, plastic surgery, drag queens, and AIDS. Now, I am not trying to sound moralistic here. I do not find these things morally reprehensible. However, it seemed to me that the director assumed that we were supposed to be very cultured in the alternate sexualities and lifestyles presented. I, as a viewer, who has not had exposure to these subjects, therefore felt confused when bombarded by them. Casual dialogue describing the various techniques of oral sex, sex-change operations, and plastic surgery enhancement left me scratching my head. However, my ignorance in these matters doesn't mean the film is bad - it simply means that I can't enjoy it because there's so much that I don't understand. With that in mind, do not take this review to mean that the film is ultimately not a good one. However, do consider that if you are unfamiliar with the culture in which it immersed, you may enjoy it as little as I have.
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